IT News
Imphal, Nov 15:
Six students’ bodies of the state – AMSU, MSF, DESAM, KSA, SUK and AIMS, showing serious concern to the present condition of the Dhanamanjuri University (DMU hereafter) and submitted memorandum to the Chief Minister of Manipur for his urgent intervention.
The memorandum submitted today stated that DMU, the potential state universities of Manipur, has been seen mired in undesirous issues due to the lack of teaching faculties, infrastructural lack such as shortage of classrooms, benches and desks, and snail-paced bifurcation of DMU from the Directorate of Technical and Higher Education, Manipur.
It added that as DMU progresses into its 5th year of existence, but need urgent attention to transform DMU into a full-fledged University.
In the memorandum, it is stated that the nascent state University namely “Dhanamanjuri University” is a cluster university set up under RUSA by clustering DM College of Science,DM College of Arts, D.M. College of Commerce, LMS Law College and GP Women’s College, officially came into being on the 6th April, 2018 by a Gazette notification of “The Dhanamanjuri University Act, 2017”.
Ever since the creation of DMU formally on the 6th April, 2018, the existing teachers (including the utilized teachers) of the five constituent colleges of DMU have been reportedly shouldering the duties and responsibilities of a university teacher under
DMU like syllabus framing (both UG and PG courses), question setting, evaluation andteaching of Post Graduate courses along with research guidance.
The issues confronted by the faculty members of DMU has often come to public domain through petitions as raised and circulated teaching and non-teaching fraternal associations of DMU which are often marked by petition to the government andconfrontation at times affected the peaceful academic environment.
The slow-paced progress of DMU has been caused by delayed bifurcation of DMU from the Higher & Technical Education, Government of Manipur.
That, the bifurcation of DMU including teaching and non-teaching staffs with proper procedural care without delay is urgently needed not only to facilitate the growth of DMU’s students and their prospects of proper research but also to avoid any future uncertainty over the legitimacy of their degrees and courses.
It further stated that the delay in bifurcation has also kept DMU unqualified for acquisition of Section 12 B of University Grants Commission without which DMU cannot be a full- fledged UGC recognised University. The major bottleneck in acquiring 12 B is due to failure on the part of the DMU to enlist a bonafide list of teaching faculty of its own which is due to non-bifurcation.
The six student body in its memorandum further stated that the continuing delay in the declaration of the result of recruitment of 88 (eighty- eight) Assistant Professors and non-teaching staffs of Dhanamanjuri University despite having conducted viva-voce has afflicted pace of DMU’s growth. The concerned authorities should look into the matter without further delay in the interest of the students and also to ensure 12 B status.
“Till date the Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor has been the lone full time official of DMU while there is no full-time Registrar, Controller and Finance Officer. The Vice-Chancellor’s creativity, zeal and efficacy have been affected due to such associate lacuna”, the memorandum stated and mentioned that, in order to mitigate such a lackadaisical state of affair concerning the governance of a historically significant premier cluster colleges in particular and DMU in general, the Government of Manipur shall have to immediately intervene to resolve matters related to the absorption of the ‘Existing Teachers’ (including the Principals and utilized teachers) of the constituent colleges of DMU as per UGC regulation, 2018.
“The crises besetting DMU is to prove inimical to the future of students and youths in Manipur. It would be pertinent for the Chief Minister of Manipur to re-look into positive assurances and understanding arrived at during a meeting in his office chamber on the 11th January, 2021, in the presence of the Education Minister, S. Rajen Singh and the then VC of DMU/Commissioner, M. Harekrishna in the Office Chamber of Chief Minister.
The Statute 30 of the Dhanamanjuri University Act, 2017 dealing with the case of the existing teachers which speaks of the option of absorption given to the teachers of all the college teachers in Manipur needs to be resolved amicably to avoid any conflict with Existing Teachers in the academic interests of the students.
The memorandum stated that the Internal Committee Report on Right Structure of DMU (November, 2020) constituted by the then Vice-Chancellor recommended for acknowledging the services rendered by the Existing Teachers and amicable process of absorption of faculties.
DMU authority in its 2021 RTI reply had reportedly endorsed the contribution of the existing teachers and the utilized teachers of the five constituent colleges of DMU as solely teaching both the Undergraduate and Post-Graduate classes from inception of DMU till date. Similarly, consequent upon a resolution of the Syndicate of DMU, the VC, DMU has issued a speaking order dated 12th May, 2022, stating that the existing teachers and the utilized teachers of the five constituent colleges of DMU have been
teaching both the UG and PG classes from inception of DMU Against the backdrop of the above enlisted issues, the Chief Minister, Government of Manipur is apprised to kindly resolve the issues of DMU in favour of the students in particular and the state of Manipur, in general.
